Ripple Energy to launch UK’s largest consumer-owned wind farm
Ripple Energy to launch UK’s largest consumer-owned wind farm
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Published on 29 May 2024
Kirk Hill is latest renewable project from Ripple Energy
£13.2 million farm to generate green energy for 20,000 homes
It has the potential to save 29,667 tonnes of carbon a year
Ripple Energy’s Kirk Hill Wind Farm
Ripple Energy is set to launch the UK’s largest consumer-owned wind farm, with the Kirk Hill project in South Ayrshire beginning in May 2024.
Once operational, the eight-turbine wind farm will generate enough green energy for 20,000 homes and businesses and save 29,667 tonnes of carbon a year. It is also believed the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power a home for a year every ten minutes.
The £13.2 million site has been funded entirely by 5,600 people and businesses who have bought shares in it since 2022.
Launched in 2017, Ripple Energy’s stated target is to make renewable energy ownership available to everyone at an affordable price.
It launches wind and solar power projects that people can buy shares in and receive cheaper, renewable energy from one of the company’s energy provider partners.
Kirk Hill is the second project that Ripple Energy has launched after Graig Fatha in south Wales, which began generating energy in March 2022, becoming the first consumer-owned wind farm in the UK in the first place..
The company is set to launch its first solar power project later in 2024 with Deril Water Solar Park, and in 2026 it will start generating energy at its Whitelaw Brae Wind Farm in the Scottish Borders..
Since the start of May 2024, roughly 70% of UK homes can access clean energy from one of Ripple Energy’s projects after British Gas, EDF, Ecotricity and E.ON Next joined as suppliers.
Sarah Merrick, chief executive and founder of Ripple Energy, was quoted by Sky News saying that projects such as the Kirk Hill Wind farm “enable thousands of people to come together and collectively own large wind and solar farms”.
“If you own a bit of a wind turbine, you can see it, you can touch it,” Merrick said.
“You know you’re having a real genuine impact on climate change – not just this year, but for the next 25 or 30 years.”
Written by
Maximilian SchwerdtfegerContent Manager
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
Roland Ellison is a London-based journalist and content producer who joined The Eco Experts as Editor in November 2023. He is passionate about solar power, reducing plastic waste, and technology that can help humanity overcome some of its greatest challenges.
Having started his editorial career in business-to-business print journalism in the construction sector, Roland has gone on to lead teams in the production of digital and video content at The Daily Mirror, BBC Global News, and at Storyful (part of News Corp).
As a journalist, he has written extensively about science, engineering, sustainability, personal finance, travel, sport, music, and entertainment for consumer audiences around the world.
With a BA in History from the University of Leeds, Roland lives with his wife, two children, and two cats in South London. He is a keen cyclist, music and film fanatic who enjoys playing and watching sport - particularly his local team, Crystal Palace FC.
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